Machine for washing or cleaning eggs



G. T. CHURCH 2,724,846

MACHINE FOR WASHING OR CLEANING EGGS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 29, 1955 Filed Oct. 17, 1951 Nov. 29, 1955 G. T. CHURCH 2,724,845

MACHINE FOR WASHING OR CLEANING EGGS Filed Oct. 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor George Thomas Church By 17u15 Agent United States Patent "O .2,724,896 .MACHINEFUR WASHING 0R .CLEANING .EGGS :Gre-orge .Thomaschvrsh Chatten England I Application October l17, 1951, Serial N 0-251,67 (i .Claims .Priwityannlicatin 'Graaf .Britain October 17,1950

4 claims. (el. is-ais) This invention relates to machines for cleaning eggs and othero'bjects a-ndfits purpose dslfto Kprovide ra machine which can clean .-a ,langefnuntberof 4objects per hour and can deal with each object individuallyto'ensureeffective results without damage to-the objects.'

According to 'the invention, an egg or other object ,cleaning machine comprises a conveyor for said objects, apair of rotating brushes disposed 4,at opposite sides ,of the conveyor with their axes arranged in thedirecton vof `'the `conveyor movement, the rotational movement of the'brushesjbeing such as to eflectV rotation of the objects .WiihOut lifting them'from the conveyor.' t

Thisefe'ct may -be achieved in ldifferent ways. For exrample, thiebrushes may be rotated ythe same angular direction with 'the downward component of one brush'on the objects ,not `less than the vupwardl -componentof ythe `othergbrush. The said downward component'vmaylbe-increased "by rotating the corresponding-brush ata higher speed and/or by prQi/ iding .it with alarger number of ,bristles By rotating the objects ,diierent surface lpor- {tions lare A:successively presented-,to ,and cleaned yby the brushes. The brushes' may' operate dry or may dip into a washing liquid.

The conveyor may be arranged to discharge the cleaned objects to a chute from which they may pass to a rotating bladed drum arranged to deliver them one at a time to, for example, a packing station. In this way fragile objects such as eggs are prevented from coming into contact with and possibly damaging one another.

An embodiment of egg washing machine in accordance with the invention vis illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows the washing machine in side elevational view with parts shown in section and broken away;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on line II-II of Figure 1; and t Figure 3 is a detail view showing one suitable form of device for removing the washed eggs from the machine of Figures 1 and 2.

The machine illustrated in Figures l and 2 comprises a frame built up of angle section metal bar and supporting pairs of bearing brackets 11, 11 and 12, 12 adjacent its opposite ends in which are journalled two transverse shafts 13, 14. The shafts 13, 14 have each secured centrally thereto a peripherally flanged disc or pulley 15 about which is passed an endless conveyor 16 consisting of series of articulated links 17, 18 of, for example, aluminium, there being two longitudinal rows of links 17 arranged in laterally spaced parallel relationship and a central row of links 1S. The links 17, 18 are interconnected by transverse bolts 19 which form the pivotal connections between said links. Each link 17 is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced fingers 20 which are arranged so as, in relation to the upper conveyor run, to project upwardly from said link, and said ingers are also inwardly curved to approximately the shape of the eggs with sufficient play to allow for different sizes of eggs. The links 18, which are not provided with 2,724,846 .Patented `Nar- ?9; lf

sagas, am :in the form ,0f Plata 0f blacks 0f rectangular cross-section and have their'upper'faczes 121, considered in relation t0 the upper conveyor run, traris'versely`con- 'caved' so as tdretain Vthe eggs centrallyof`;the'coriveyor.

A.Exten.ding parallel to'the conveyor and arranged one at either side ofthe upper conveyor run, areV ai'pair' of brushes 23a, `23b each mounted on a shaft 24a, 24h re'- ,spectively 'jourralled Vin bearings 25 at opposite Qendsof the machine frame.V The brush shafts may bedriven ih any 'convenient'manner such, for example, as through the "medium ofchain and sprocket gearing 26'--from` aii elegi- 'Ytr'io 'motor (vnoit' shown) 0hV the `fr'raijne Ifand 'in ythe arra,r1g"e ment shown both shafts are driven at the same speed'and inv thesame direction. The brush shafts 'are'v arranged eggs. Y The bearings'25a, 215b`rn`ay lbe adjustablymounted so as 'to' enable the shafts -24a, 24h to be'm'ved laterally finwardlyto take up wear in the brushesl Allanged runway 27 secured to the frame is provided between Y.the -pulleys 15 -t'o support -theupper run ofthe conveyor arid vkeep it centrally aligned between the brushes." The conveyor `belt lextends horizontally beyondfthe at :p-

positeends thereof. Thepdriving means forthebrush shafts is also arranged todrive theconveyor anid'for this (purpose 'the shaft i2f4'b haslsecur'ed `thereon a worm member T29 which'Arnesh'es with a toothed disc 3l) secured on one of 'the'tran'syrse `shafts 13. The conveyor isthus drivenY so that 'the eggs 4'cariedjby the upper conveyorrun are progressivelypassed at a constant speed betweenthe'fbrushes, Vthe latteri rotating at a ratio'of, for'example, between twenty "and thir'tyfto one in relation to the conveyor pulleys 15. The eggs are arranged with their axes lengthwise of the conveyor and thus the wiping action of the brushes will also cause the eggs to be turned so as to present successive surface portions to the brushes as they pass between said brushes, the bristles also passing between adjacent eggs so as to clean the end thereof. Any tendency of the eggs to lift from the conveyor due to the upward component of the brush 23h is counteracted by the downward component of the brush 23a. This effect may be improved by providing the brush 23a with a greater number of bristles than the brush 23b. Alternatively, or in addition the brush 23a may be rotated at a greater peripheral speed than the brush 23h.

In operation, the eggs are placed by the operator between the fingers of each transverse pair of links 17 at one end of the upper conveyor run, i. e., the right-hand end in Figure 1, and after passing between the brushes they may be discharged for Iconveyance to, for example, a packing station. For this purpose a rubber covered chute 33 is arranged to receive the eggs from the conveyor as the latter passes over the left-hand pulley 15, said chute being so inclined that the eggs will roll easily but not too quickly towards its lower end. Here the eggs are collected by a drum 34 provided on its periphery with angularly spaced longitudinal rubber blades or ribs 35 carried by metal strips 36 and may be delivered by said drum to, for example, a tray arranged with its receiving end slightly higher than its otherrend so that the eggs will then roll slowly down the tray without damaging one another. The drum may be conveniently driven from the adjacent pulley shaft 13 by, for example, chain and sprocket gear 37 and its peripheral speed may be substantially equal to or somewhat greater than the speed of the conveyor. The drum transfers the eggs one by one to the tray and thus prevents the eggs on or leaving the chute coming into contact with each other and possibly becoming cracked.

The brushes may operate dry, in which case the bristles may be made of wire. Alternatively, the brushes `may be wetted so as to wash the eggs, a liquid tank 40 being supported beneath the brushes into which the ends of the brushes dip as the brushes rotate. In this case the brush bristles may be made of nylon. A cover 41 may be fitted over the brushes, being removably supported on the frame as shown by way of example at 42, and where a liquid tank is tted the cover may, as shown, depend into the tank below the liquid level. The liquid in the tank may be changed continuously by means of any convenient supply and discharge arrangements, or the tank may be removed from time to time for discharge and re-filling simply by sliding it out sideways. A drip tray 43 may be provided beneath the lower run of the conveyor.

Iclaim:

1. A machine for cleaning eggs or like objects cornprising an endless moving conveyor belt for said objects, said belt having an upper horizontal run and a lower horizontal run, a pair of rotary brushes disposed at opposite sides of the conveyor with their axes in a plane so far above the upper run of the conveyor belt that the centres of the objects are below the said plane, said axes extending in the direction of said belt, the bristles of said brushes being long enough for cleaning the whole of the object, the brushes rotating in the same direction, the first of said brushes imparting a downward component of force to the objects, and the second of said brushes imparting an upward component of force to the objects, the rst brush imparting a suiciently large component of force to the objects so that the objects are rotated without lifting them from the conveyor belt, a tank disposed beneath the upper run of the conveyor` into which the brushes dip, pairs of ngers carried by the belt at intervals each pair projecting at opposite sides of the belt outwardly and partly around the objects to prevent the latter from slipping olf the belt, said belt comprising blocks having upper surfaces which carry the objects along the brushes and are curved transversely to centralise the objects thereon, and links pivotally connecting said blocks together, said links carrying said fingers.

2. Machine as claimed in claim 1 having means for driving the brushes and means whereby the conveyor is driven from the brush-driving means at a speed substantially lower than the peripheral speed of the brushes.

3. Machine as claimed in claim 1 having pulleys for carrying the conveyor belt, a toothed disc secured to one of the conveyor pulleys, and a worm member mounted for rotation with one of the brushes and driving said toothed disc.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 having a chute positioned to receive the objects from the conveyor belt, and a rotating bladed drum receiving the objects from said chute.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 204,993 Paul June 18, 1878 616,284 Baker et al. Dec. 20, 1898 842,378 Baker Ian. 29, 1907 956,426 Rowland Apr. 26, 1910 1,058,460 Porter Apr. 8, 1913 1,252,583 Kellum Jan. 8, 1918 1,464,775 Reuter Aug. 14, 1923 1,530,415 Roussel Mar. 17, 1925 1,695,054 Morgan Dec. 11, 1928 2,538,331 Ruzsicska Jan. 16, 1951 2,555,193 Johnson May 29, 1951 2,597,148 Joseph May 20, 1952 2,603,039 Slocum et al. July 15, 1952 2,627,140 Marzolf Feb. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 416,069 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1934 475,402 Great Britain Nov. 18, 1937 ,v .nu m... 

